The present invention relates to wireless telecommunications in general, and, more particularly, to both a radio card and a wireless terminal that are easily reconfigured and upgraded.
As time progresses, more and more people are discovering and appreciating the advantages that wireless terminals (e.g., cellular telephones, pagers, computers with wireless modems, etc.) provide over their traditional wireline counterparts. In general, there are two principal advantages of wireless terminals with respect to wireline terminals. The first advantage is the mobility that is afforded to the user of a wireless terminal because the wireless terminal need not be tethered in order to have a telecommunications link. The second advantage is the fact that wireless terminals largely obviate the need for in-building wiring and cabling, which is expensive and difficult to install. This last advantage is true whether the wireless terminal is portable or not. In fact, it is becoming increasingly popular to link desktop computers and other less-than-easily portable machines with wireless technologies rather than traditional wired solutions.
Although most cellular telephones and pagers are manufactured with fully-integrated and permanently installed radios that are manufactured to operate in accordance with one or more air interfaces (e.g., 800 MHz IS-41 AMPS, 800 MHz IS-54 TDMA, 800 MHz IS-95 CDMA, 800 MHz IS-95 GSM, etc.), it is generally considered disadvantageous and uneconomical for computers, personal digital assistants, and some other wireless terminals to be manufactured with a permanently installed radio. There are several reasons for this disparity. First, many computer users don""t want a radio in their computer at all, and, therefore, don""t want to pay for a radio that they have no intention of using. Second, for those users who do want a radio in their computer, there is a great diversity in the type of radios that they might want. For example, some users might want a radio that transmits and receives voice and data at the 1800 MHz IS-95 PCS standard, others might want a radio that transmits and receives data only at the 2400 MHz Bluetooth standard, and some might want a radio that transmits and receives voice only at the 800 MHz IS-41 AMPS standard. Therefore, the permanent installation of a radio into a computer that is suitable for one user is most likely to be unsuitable for another.
To deal with this dilemma, many manufacturers have adopted a modular approach in which a host device (e.g., a computer, a personal digital assistant, etc.) comprises a slot or bay with a standardized form factor and standardized wireline electrical interface that accepts and interoperates with a separately manufactured radio. In general, the mechanical and electrical engineering are such that it is quick and easy for a user to insert the radio into the host device and to remove it as desired. The modular approach to this dilemma is advantageous because it enables a user to buy one host device, to separately buy one or more radios that are suitable for the user""s needs, and to insert the appropriate radio into the host device as appropriate.
The most popular of these modular approaches is defined by the well-known Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association (hereinafter xe2x80x9cPCMCIAxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cPC Cardxe2x80x9d) card interface, in which the radios resemble a thick credit card. Although some PC Cards function as radios, other PC Cards are available that function as: modems, hard drives, Ethernet cards, and flash memory. FIG. 1 depicts an isometric drawing, in the prior art, of the spatial relationship of a PCMCIA radio card to a notebook computer with a PCMCIA card interface as the radio card is being inserted into the computer.
One disadvantage of radio cards in the prior art is that it is difficult, if not impossible, to upgrade their software when a bug is discovered or when a new software release is available. Therefore, the need exists for a radio card whose software is easily upgradable.
The first illustrative embodiment of the present invention is a radio card whose software is more easily upgradable than many radio cards in the prior art. Furthermore, the first illustrative embodiment of the present invention is an arrangement in which a user can easily: (1) upgrade the software in a radio card, (2) change the parameters affecting the operation of the radio card, (3) enable and disable features and options on the radio card, (4) install software modules onto the radio card and remove them, (5) reconfigure the reconfigurable hardware on the radio card, (6) extract performance data from the radio card for analysis and testing of the radio card, and (7) load contact information (e.g., names and associated telephone numbers, Internet addresses, etc.) onto the radio card. Furthermore, the user can easily do any of these functions in the field, himself or herself, without having to visit, or send the radio card to, an authorized service facility
To accomplish this, the first illustrative embodiment of the present invention exploits the cooperative relationship that exists between a radio card and a computer with a radio card interface. When the radio card is designed and manufactured with an alterable memory for storing data and software, the computer can be used to easily upgrade and change the data and software on the radio card. Furthermore, if the radio card comprises reconfigurable hardware (e.g., a field-programmable gate array, etc.) whose components are interconnected in a topology that is determined by information provided to the reconfigurable hardware (i.e., a xe2x80x9chardware definitionxe2x80x9d) and stored in an alterable memory, then the computer can be used to easily reconfigure the reconfigurable hardware by altering the hardware definition stored in the alterable memory. This is advantageous because it facilitates major changes in the functionality provided by the radio card (e.g., from an 800 MHz IS-41 cellular card to a 2400 MHz Bluetooth data card, etc.).
A further advantage of the first illustrative embodiment of the present invention is that when the computer is connected to a data network (e.g., the Internet, etc.), software upgrades, software modules, hardware definitions, and other data can be downloaded from the data network for installation into the radio card. For example, if a particular radio card does not support caller ID, the user of the radio card can download the caller ID software module from the Internet and install it into the radio card to enable the radio card to support caller ID.
And yet another advantage of the first illustrative embodiment of the present invention is that performance data can be extracted from the radio card for analysis and testing of the radio card, and the testing and analysis can be performed either: (1) by the computer itself, or (2) by transmitting the performance data via a data network for analysis by a remote computer system, or (3) by a combination of the two.
The first illustrative embodiment of the present invention comprises:
(1) a radio card comprising:
(a) a first alterable memory for storing a first plurality of instructions, and
(b) a radio comprising programmable logic that executes the first plurality of instructions, and
(2) a computer comprising:
(a) a wireline connection to a data network for receiving the first plurality of instructions via the data network, and
(b) a wireline radio card interface for providing the first plurality of instructions to the radio card for storage in the first alterable memory.
The second illustrative embodiment of the present invention is a wireless terminal whose software is more easily upgradable than many wireless terminals in the prior art. Furthermore, the second illustrative embodiment of the present invention is an arrangement in which a user can easily: (1) upgrade the software in a wireless terminal, (2) change the parameters affecting the operation of the wireless terminal, (3) enable and disable features and options of the wireless terminal, (4) install software modules into the wireless terminal and remove them, (5) reconfigure the reconfigurable hardware in the wireless terminal, (6) extract performance data from the wireless terminal for analysis and testing of the wireless terminal, and (7) load contact information (e.g., names and associated telephone numbers, Internet addresses, etc.) into the wireless terminal. Furthermore, the user can easily do any of these functions in the field, himself or herself, without having to visit, or send the wireless terminal to, an authorized service facility.
To accomplish this, the second illustrative embodiment of the present invention exploits the cooperative relationship that can exist between a wireless terminal and a computer with either: (1) a wireline interface (e.g., a serial interface, a parallel interface, etc.), or (2) a wireless interface (e.g., an infrared interface, etc.), or (3) both #1 and #2. When the wireless terminal is designed and manufactured with an alterable memory for storing data and software, the computer can be used to easily upgrade and change the data and software in the wireless terminal. Furthermore, if the wireless terminal comprises reconfigurable hardware (e.g., a field programmable gate array, etc.) whose components are interconnected in a topology that is determined by a hardware definition and stored in an alterable memory, then the computer can be used to easily configure the reconfigurable hardware by altering the hardware definition in the alterable memory. This is advantageous because if facilitates major changes in the functionality provided by the wireless terminal.
A further advantage of the second illustrative embodiment of the present invention is that when the computer is connected to a data network (e.g., the Internet, etc.), software upgrades, software modules, hardware definitions, and other data can be downloaded from the data network for installation into the wireless terminal.
And yet another advantage of the second illustrative embodiment of the present invention is that performance data can be extracted from the wireless terminal for analysis and testing of the wireless terminal, and the testing and analysis can be performed either: (1) by the computer itself, or (2) by transmitting the performance data via a data network for analysis by a remote computer system, or (3) by a combination of the two.